


A Whole New World with You

by moon_opals



Category: Frozen (Disney Movies), The Little Mermaid (1989)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/F, Meet-Cute, Mermaids, POV First Person, Timeskip
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-01
Updated: 2019-12-01
Packaged: 2021-02-26 23:34:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,824
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21637402
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/moon_opals/pseuds/moon_opals
Summary: Elsa makes a new friend, and hopefully, she won't drown in the process.
Relationships: Ariel & Elsa (Disney), Ariel/Elsa (Disney)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 29





	A Whole New World with You

**Author's Note:**

> Nearly lost my gosh darn mind when I heard the literary reference in the movie, and the idea wouldn't leave me along.

When I was thirty years old, I heard a voice. As you already know, I was well adept with receiving mystical calls, but this experience differed from my last, more melodic if not more so haunting. I reclined on my sofa, trudging along through one of my least favorite books, an endeavor I'd undertaken for my nieces'. Bedtime stories was a precious nightly routine, and to my sister's dismay, lullabies didn't sway her daughters to slumber as Mama's did to us.

“Now then, let us begin. When we are at the end of the story, we shall know more than we know now,” I read, stretching. “But to begin.”

It was pure coincidence I was on the first sentence of the story’s first page when the voice sang to me. A sweet, beautiful melody charmed its way into my home, and my attention was stricken. More than happy to close the book, I swung my legs over the edge, squinting in suspicion. My previous mystical call resulted in angry spirits nearly devastating my country and the people I vowed to protect. No. Knowing what I know now, their ire was reasonable if not anticipated. So I assumed something similar was amiss. Some poor fool had upset a spirit and was going to wreak havoc again, but it wasn't the time to panic. I problem needed solving, and as I opened the window, a warm breeze tickled my cheeks. A riddle to be solved, a mystery waiting for discovery, all the same as it ever was. I inhaled the ocean's salty sent, searching its vastness for any sing of the source.

The past had taught me well. If it was out there, I wouldn’t find it in my house.

*****

“Nokk, did you hear,” I asked, pressing my hand on the spirit’s neck. Ghostly eyes scrutinized me, and its massive head faced the waters. I smiled. “So, you did hear it. Can you show me where it is?”

They neighed, feet clomping in their waters. Laughing, I pulled myself onto its back. “Of course,” I said, staring ahead, “forgive my assumptions.” One swift touch and we crossed the waters at record breaking speed. All the while, the melody strengthened.

Nokk is and forever will be a mercurial spirit. Partners in some ways, rivals in others, there were few signs to indicate his current mood. He offered his reigns, a sign of respect, but by no means did they surrender complete control to me. It was no surprise when Nokk chose an alternate, unknown path to seek the voice. His hooves ran a circle around the land, distancing us from The Dark Sea and Northuldran territories. Anticipating an irritable grunt in response, I stayed my question, unprompted for the moment. Instead, I observed unfamiliar territory, growing a little annoyed. Secrets plagued me at every corner, and here I thought I'd be free from them.

Fortunately, the melody didn’t leave my side. Its volume neither increased or decreased, sung at a neutral level that enchanted all who heard it, which made my situation even more familiar. The longer we raced, the shorter time felt, and my patience was soon rewarded. 

Nokk slowed. He neighed softly, mane swishing water side to side, relentless. I tried to read meaning in his behavior, curious and wary at once. When I raised my head again, I surveyed the water and saw nothing out of the ordinary. The afternoon sun had reached a monumental peak in summer skies, and frisky winds cooled my skin. But it was the water that called my attention. The surface was still but not, as if the waters were ever still. Life constantly thrived within its borders, and just because it couldn’t be seen on the upper surface didn't prove its non-existence.

So yes, the waters' docility teased me, and for some reason, was Nokk's chosen path. Understand the sun was at its highest, and calm waters reflected its yellow mass and everything else in its vicinity. I’ll tell you want I saw. A yellow sun, a rock protruding above the surface, and her.

I didn’t see her immediately, I’ll admit. She’d remove her attire’s lower half, and the sun was vibrant on every shimmering jewel that I winced at its intensity. Aware the woman was undressed, thus unpresentable, I gripped the reigns to stir Nokk away. He refused. I hissed lowly, praying her melody drowned out any other vocalizations around her, but again, Nokk refused. He moved stealthily across the way, and I realized her hearing detected gentle waves, not hooves dancing on water. This suited his interests.

Her hair shamed the spring's rose, gold shimmering under sunlight. Golds and pearls adorned her wrists, but it was her dress, which I discovered wasn’t a dress at all, that enchanted me. Blue green jewels winked at me. Sparkling and bright. It didn’t take me long to see their beauty wasn’t due to natural rock sediments. They were oval shaped, minuscule in appearance, and were in many, possibly thousands. Scales. Each one was like a freshly picked blue green diamond.

Mermaids were able to walk among man, I recalled reading. Father was adamant that we understood fairy tale's fanciful nature, but Mother's stories held a grain of truth. The mermaid’s tail huddled at her feet. I was transfixed. Her legs didn’t appear different from a humans, but were like unblemished ivory. Not even the sun had kissed freckles nor had time given her a single mole. Her thighs were slim but firm, a consequence of her physical activity.

Wait. There was heat on my neck. I swallowed, sudden my aware of what I was doing. Before I had a chance to stop myself, I whispered. “Oh, my.”

Her song stopped. She swirled at me, eyes wide and deeper than the darkest depths of the sea. Their intensity disarming me, I gasped, unable to think of an appropriate explanation. She glared at me, fiercely unforgiving, and I wondered what she was going to do. Numerous variations claimed mermaids and sirens were interchangeable. Did this mermaid claim to drown me as her cousins did in Ancient Greece? I wasn't a sailor, and though her song was a refined lure, I hadn't fallen into her trap yet. Gripping the reigns, I swallowed my fear and raised my head defiantly. 

Without notice, I was ignored.

“You.” Her voice was like bell chimes, loud yet gentle, and she reached forward. My heart leaped to my throat. Desperately, the urge to flee was upon me, but Nokk knew better. He lowered his head, thick neck bowing to receive her touch. Light glimmered on her hand scales and arm fins, same shade as her tail-fin. Fingers danced across mane. She giggled at his delighted neighs. "It's been a while, old friend." 

“Old friend?”

She looked at me. I straightened my back.

“Water has a long memory,” she said softly. “Mermaids have been there since the beginning.” She hummed quietly, and I glanced at Nokk, completely pacified. How peculiar.

This was a good sign. My tension eased away, and there was nothing else to do except introduce myself. "I'm Elsa."

“Ariel,” she introduced herself with a smile. Her cheeks were rosy and plump. Eyelashes dark, still holding thick rolls of seawater on their tips. “You must be the one I heard about?”

“Me?”

She nodded, dropping her hand. “Water has memory, and we know it so intimately.” She extended her arm, drawing a circle. “All creatures know and feel the change, from Arendelle to Sierra Aureole.”

“Sierra Aureole?” I smiled, unable to contain my amazement. I’d read and heard so many tales about the kingdom to the far west. But Father has hindered much of our communication. When the gates closed, our stable relationship with the Queendom of Sierra Aureole was sacrificed. I didn’t feel comfortable telling her that. “What is like there,” I asked. “Are the rumors true?”

“Rumors?”

“A servant once told me about the golden mountain range.” She did more than tell me. She painted a world brighter than the golden sun itself, after I promised to never tell Mother and Father. “It sounds lovely.”

“Hmm...oh, it is,” she tangled her fingers in her hair. “Just like Maldonia and Agrabah and -,”

“You’ve been to Maldonia?” I reacted without thinking. I nearly jumped off Nokk. Ariel leaned back, staring at me before she erupted in laughter. Patting the rock, she offered a space for me. I was more than happy to oblige, but her current state of dress held my acceptance. Nokk senses this and got down on his knees to graze. I touched the water, creating a pallet of sorts, and slid on top of it. She didn’t look away, and there were squeals of excitement as she shook her wrists.

“Magic?” She applauded. “Actual ice and snow.” She gasped and awed, spreading her fingers across the surface. “Amazing.”

“Thank you,” I agreed. “But more about your travels,” I crossed my fingers over my knee. “I’d love to hear more.”

Ariel told me more. Maldonia’s song was tropical and fragrant. Agrabah’s secrets were deep and long buried.

“You met a genie?” I leaned forward, careful not to touch. “They're real too?” So many confirmations in less than an hour, and I wanted to keep going.

Ariel bobbed her head, and my cheeks burned at the sight of her exposed breasts that had been cleverly hidden behind her hair. She paused, studying what must’ve shown on her face, and she glanced down.

“Oh?” She glanced at me apologetically. “I forgot humans aren’t like us,” she grabbed her withdrawn fin “Genie was very nice to explain things to me,” she giggled. “In his own way.”

I tucked my wrist under my chin. “And where is he now?”

“Oh, long gone, as free as a bird.” She turned to the skies. “I hope he’s happy, wherever he is.”

“Arendelle received the current sultan of Agrabah during my coronation. He was very kind.”

“Good.” She finished slipping her fins back on. “And what of you, Elsa? What of your adventures?”

I confessed my adventures paled in comparison to hers. She'd cross borders I could only dream of. Sometimes, her sisters joined her - six in total, but most of the time, she'd taken on exploration as a solo endeavor. I'd grown infatuated with these great worlds and cultures I'd encountered briefly as queen, but I wasn't queen any longer. I hadn't ruled in six years. In retrospect, it didn't feel like six years had passed. I didn't feel older than the moment I received my new role as the fifth spirit. Age. Time. Both had become relative in my circumstances, and Ariel seemed to understand without me saying a word.

“I’m 19 years old,” she shrugged. “At sixteen, we’re permitted to visit the surface. Grandmother was so worried and excited. She couldn’t think of what we’d want to see up there.”

“Did you find anything that you wanted?”

“Oh, I did and more.” Ariel chuckled, rolling her shoulders. She changed her position, sticking her fins into the water, kicking idly. “How far have you gone?”

“How far?”

“Away from here?” She gestured to the see. “It’s a great world out there. A little dangerous too, but,” she pointed to my ice pallet, “you should be fine.”

At that, I laughed. Laughed purely and blindly. Her tenacity and bluntness more than amused me, and I cradled a hand over my stomach, nearly falling back with tears in my eyes. My other hand covered my mouth. “Oh, I’d think,” I agreed, “but using magic without abandon in the modern world is a dangerous thing.”

“Maldonia and Sierra Aureole do.”

“They do?” I was quizzical. I didn’t know about their magical properties, but then again, I didn’t know much about their countries aside from what I read in my classes and were told by my parents. 

“Granted,” she reclined on the rock, stretching. She kindly used her hair as a barrier again, so I was unable to see any excess skin. “They've fought off conquerers due to this, but don't let the world know." She pressed a finger to her lips. "Maldonia's food is to die for. Sierra Aureole's trees are rejuvenating."

The idea appealed to me. I’d lived on the lands for six years, making frequent visits to Arendelle, but I hadn’t thought about leaving, even if temporarily. My responsibility was here as the fifth spirit, and Ariel scoffed, playfully rolling her eyes. 

“The fifth spirit, hm?” She tapped her chin. “I suppose it is an ardent duty, or that’s what Attina would say.”

“Attina?”

“My oldest sister,” she explained. “You remind me a lot of her,” then she grinned a mischief’s smile, “but much more fun.”

I didn’t know what to say to that. Or that I should say anything about it. Sister relationships could be complicated, and though she said it lightly with an imp’s tone, there was a certain sort of sharpness attached to her statement. So I coughed, straying the conversation to less familial subjects. “You know,” I said, clearing my throat, “there’s a story about mermaids. A fairly popular one. Father used to read it to my sister and I when we were children.”

Ariel pouted. “Yes, yes,” she rolled onto her stomach, crossing her arms to rest her chin upon. Her eyes were a deeper blue than I realized. reflecting gold and green and a little violet too, and I pulled back, realizing she had closed our gap significantly. “I remember, Hans Christian Andersen, right?”

“Hans,” I repeated dumbly. I stumbled over my words. “Y-yes,” I pinched my cheeks. “He’s a Danish author. He wrote a beautiful if a little melodramatic and cruel and -,”

“Incorrect retelling of dear Aunt Arielle’s story?”

I stopped mid-sentence and stared. “What?”

Ariel huffed, irritated. “I didn’t think he’d take her story so far.” Her thick bangs bobbed restlessly as she blew. “Aunt Arielle's refusal to murder the prince resulted in her death. Her sisters, my mother amongst them, did what they could to help by providing the blade that'd complete the deed."

"Murder?"

"They wanted her to live."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. A fairy tale - one that had brought Anna to tears every time Father read its final sentences - was in fact based on a real event? “Excuse me,” I interjected, “I’m confused. Do you mind slowing down?”

“Oh,” she paused. “Of course, you’d be a little confused.” She laughed, flicking her tail lazily. “Aunt Arielle was Mother’s sister. Her youngest sister, and they loved each other dearly. Father loved her as well. Their love didn't help her a bit. She sought out an old sea witch's help,” she added pointedly, “and it worked. It did.”

“Until it didn’t?”

Ariel shook her head sadly. “She sacrificed her beautiful voice for a man, a human man,” she griped. “One she hadn’t even met properly. I’m still disappointed every time I hear it, which is extremely rare. Mother and Father mourn her to this very day, so we don't."

Assuming she discovered the sad tale on her own, letting go of the subject was the best option. I ventured further. So, did she become a daughter of air?”

Ariel hummed. “Yes, she did,” she opened her palm. A wink of her eye told me to draw closer, so I did. I waited, holding my breath. It came. She came. A sharp, sudden hit of wind struck at us. It didn’t hurt, certainly, but a melody swung in its throws. A familiar melody. I blinked at Ariel, who merely grinned back.

“Wow, that was unprecedented.” I thought of Gale. “And the wind spirit is okay with that?”

“Why, of course,” she laughed. “Why wouldn’t it be? It has more friends this way."

“Oh.”

It didn’t sound very nice, but the melody sounded hopeful. And that was what mattered the most. We spoke more about Ariel’s worlds. The Southern Isles. I listened indulgently to this, and was a little skeptical at her description. “A miserable, sad place,” she bemoaned. “The queen had fallen ill, and the king loads up on women and wine.”

“What of her sons?” I didn’t smirk. 

“I managed to sneak into the castle,” she continued. “Only two, I believe, two visited and cared for her. Her youngest sons. Lars...and...and…,” she frowned, unable to remember the name. “Darn it, memory escapes me at my age.”

“You’re 19.”

“In mermaid years,” she retorted. “I’m closer to 300 in human years.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah, well, it doesn’t matter,” she waved off her forgetfulness. “The youngest prince was a diligent caretaker. His brother’s cruelty didn’t deter him.”

“If only it had when he came to Arendelle,” I mumbled without thinking. When I raised my head, Ariel concentrated on me. I found that I couldn’t move, not freely. She’d transfixed me into stone, or that’s what it felt like at the time. I couldn’t move. Could barely breathe. 

She gripped my cheeks. Slender fingers curled around my jawline and fingers pressed into my cheeks. It wasn’t tight. It wasn’t soft. An entirely new sensation flooded my senses, and my soul sunk, not in despair or horror but the actual feeling of being dragged beneath the depths. I tried to reach out. I tried to scream. But my tongue and muscles were deadened. Maybe Nokk, I thought desperately, maybe Nokk could...but if Nokk could, he chose not to.

“Like Mr. Andersen, there are parts of the story you do not know and are not meant to know,” she said softly, a mother scolding an ignorant child. “Yes, he is the villain of your story,” she chided, “be thankful you have not encountered the villains of his.”

A chill ran down my spine. As suddenly as she grasped me, she abandoned me. Instantly, a hole in my stomach widened, and I frowned, unable to determine the feeling. But she remained perched on her rock, studying me.

“I…,” words failed me. “I…”

“It’s alright,” her smile pacified me somewhat. “I’ve seen so many stories, you know,” she dropped a finger and swirled it, creating circles. “and I've decided humans are a complicated species.”

My hand fell to my neck. I glanced at Nokk. He was content. So, maybe I wasn’t in danger of drowning. “And what of you,” I said, gasping. “Aren’t mermaids part human?”

“Neither fish or man,” she countered. “Somewhere in between. Something entirely different, but I'll admit, we're just as complicated if not more. Father was in love with his wife's sister and married mother only when my aunt wasn't an option anymore."

"And you drown us."

"We don't do that anymore," she replied. "But we can create storms to drown you." 

"But you've also saved humans, correct?"

She pointed at me, beaming. "See? You get it." In that moment, it was like fireflies awakened in her pupils. She scrambled up and leaned closely, bouncing with excitement. “Oh, this is amazing.”

“What?”

It was impossible to tell what thoughts danced in her mind, but whatever idea it was, it'd struck her harder than her dead aunt's wind. "You should come with me," she gasped deeply. "You should visit Atlantica."

“Atlantica?”

“My home.”

I paused, tilted my head, and repeated. “Your home?”

“Yes,” she clasped my hands together, bright and sunny. “Oh, you’d love it. My sisters would love to meet the fifth spirit. Mother and Father would be impressed, and oh, it’d be so…”

“Wait.” Stopping was a necessary cruelty. "I’m human, Ariel. I can’t breathe underwater, and with all due respect, your family aren’t fond of humans.”

“But you aren’t human anymore.”

“What?” I laughed incredulously. "I am human."

She shook her head, tapping my nose. "No, you aren't," she repeated. "Your'e the fifth spirit. The sole path to becoming a spirit is to accepting Death. Can't make it without it."

“Hold on,” completely unacceptable. It made no sense. It was senseless, so I pushed back my mounting terror. “My sister was frozen nine years ago.”

“Is she a spirit?”

“Well, she’s part of the fifth spirit. We’re the bridge that connects the two worlds.”

Ariel smirked. “So, she’s a spirit,” she lowered her head, crookedly, squinting at me. “She can probably breathe underwater too.”

“Ariel, you don’t understand -,”

“No, I do,” she insisted. “You don’t.” 

But she was going to make sure I did.

*****

I didn’t see her move.

I wasn’t allowed to see her.

I did not fight. I did not resist. It was an option - fighting is always an option, but my resistance waned the moment I hit the water. She dragged me so low, so deep. 

Panic flooded my lungs.

But did not drown them.

She motioned to her mouth, and I opened. Seawater came in, but I breathed. I breathed. I was breathing. My eyes widened. I struggled at last, and swam back to the surface, shattering its tranquility. She followed after me. I imagine my fish impression was spectacular, or at least greatly amusing for she roared with laughter.

“I can breathe underwater,” I gasped, flopping back to the rock. “I can breathe. How? How is that possible? I can breathe underwater.”

She swam near me. “I suspect you can do more,” she grinned. “How about we find out?”

I clutched the rock, gasping and glaring at Nokk still resting idly. “In Atlantic,” I rasped. “How long? How long will I be gone?”

I had a family. A family. A family that needed me, and her warmth understood.

“Until sunset,” she answered. “I don’t think it’d be wise to keep one half of the fifth spirit for too long.” She motioned to Nokk. “He’d get restless.”

Yes, waters didn’t remain docile for long, but this convinced me. Despite worrying my bottom lip with my teeth, I nodded. "I'd like to," I assented. "Atlantica sounds beautiful."

Her smile...her joy...she was infectious. 

Ariel clasped her hands around mine, and again, I was trapped in ice cold and sun hot. Her scales didn’t irritate my skin, and rather than focusing on the bright lights in the distance, my attention fell on flowing red hair and resonating excitement. My heart drummed in my chest, alongside their melody. For mermaids are a musical species, and they welcomed their princess home with song. 

Nokk swam ahead, materializing periodically to remind me that he was near, but there wasn’t a need for it. I wasn’t afraid. Not with her. Not with them. 

And what happened? When I finally entered their proud song, what did I do? What did I learn? Give me time, I’ll tell you soon, but I should start with the beginning. The beginning sometimes takes precedence over the final destination, but it was a good thing I ventured far out in the ocean where the water was as blue as the petals of the loveliest cornflower, as clear as the purest glass.

My heart sang with them. What a joyous feeling it was.

**Author's Note:**

> Originally, Ariel was going to give Elsa the kiss of life. I'm disappointed in myself that I didn't manage to fit it in.


End file.
